The Last Dream
by Tasty Yogurt
Summary: It's been several years since the fall of Dr. Eggman. Everyone thought the worst of it was over, but a new threat has risen. It's clear that this new enemy is far worse than anyone could have imagined. With the emeralds stolen, a wormhole opened up into another dimension, and the world's greatest hero gone, it's up to Tails, with the help of some new allies, to save everyone.
1. Prologue

Mobius. A world of peace. A place where one could rest easy, knowing that the dangers of yesterday were long gone. The old days of destruction and war were long past. The animal kind lived out their lives in harmony, the young only hearing stories of what times were like long ago. The adults of this time, having lived through it all, would tell their stories with some alterations, as to not scare their children. Today, you could walk the village streets, join in the market events, and the fun and games of the festivals held seasonally. But Mobius wasn't always this way.

Long ago, when Tails was young, this world was in a stranglehold by an evil scientist. Hell bent on ruling the planet in his image, Dr. Eggman created machines that destroyed the homes of many of the peaceful villagers. These monstrous machines were powered by small creatures that Dr. Eggman's henchmen captured. It was a sickening experiment run time and time again on these defenseless creatures before the machines were perfect. Many stood in defense against the machines. Others surrendered to avoid the inevitable.

However, there was one village in particular that caused a lot of trouble for Dr. Eggman's master plan. Knothole. Here lived a rag-tag team of rebels. Some would say they were lead by Princess Sally, while the rest would whisper that it was Sonic that really lead them into battle. Tails would be one of those whispering voices. He was his sidekick, after all. Countless times, Eggman would send his machines to take over the village, and Sonic the Hedgehog, with help from Tails and the others of the village would stop them. These skirmishes became a regular occurrence in Knothole. Eventually, after being on the defensive for so many years, Sonic, who was known as 'the fastest thing alive', was growing old and tired. It wouldn't be long before the machines, who never age or tire, would overcome him, and destroy the village. It was time to go on the offensive, and take Dr. Eggman head on.

Sonic drew up a plan. He brought in only the best soldiers of the village, including Tails, his long time friend who stood by him in every fight, and even saved him when he was in trouble more times than he could remember. Dr. Eggman held himself up in the mecha town of Metropolis. His towering fortress heavily guarded by his most advanced machines. This would not be an easy task. Sonic had no other choice though. He had to do this.

Tails could remember everything that happened after that day. Everything. From invading the fortress, to the numbering forces that stood against them, to the number of casualties they had endured. Half way through the mission, Tails asked himself a question he never thought he'd ask himself. Had Sonic lost his mind? This was a suicide mission. None of them may ever make it out alive. And who was to say they would even succeed? But he didn't have time to find the answers. He was already in the thick of it with the rest of them. There was no turning back.

When they reached the main chamber of Eggman's lair, things happened in a flash. Eggman was known for long winded speeches, always proclaiming victory before the fight even started. But to everyone's surprise, Sonic was in no mood to hear it. He went strait for him. Eggman fell into his large array of consoles, his massive size and girth destroying everything in his fall. Suddenly, the lights went red, alarms started going off. "Warning. Containment of nuclear power cells breached. Evacuate immediately." It was time to go. The place was ready to explode. Whatever Eggman destroyed obviously overloaded something. Tail knew this wasn't part of the plan. They weren't prepared for this.

The team scattered, but Tails turned at the door to see his friend still fighting Eggman. "Sonic! It's going to blow! Let's go!" He yelled.

Sonic stared down Eggman, meeting his angry gaze. "..Go." He said. Tails froze, wide eyed. Sonic really had lost his mind. "Go!" He yelled this time, and then rushed for Eggman, keeping him from escaping. Tails had no choice. He took one final look at his friend as he held Eggamn away from the door.

Outside the tower, the remainder of the team was already there, running into the forest edge. Tails got out at the last second. That's when everything went silent, or at least that's how it seemed. The tower exploded level by level. Fireballs, glass, and rubble falling everywhere. Tails ran to join the rest of the team before turning back to the tower. The fire raged in every level. A ringing in Tails' ears prevented him from hearing one of his teammates. "Let's go! The tower is collapsing!" Tails turned to him, then back again.

"Sonic.." He whispered to himself. It seemed to be in slow motion as the tower fell. His friend was gone, but so was Eggman. There was no way either one of them survived. Tails knew this. Sure, Sonic got out of situations similar to this before, but this was different. He heard it in his voice.

"Go…" It was eerie. Sonic knew too that he wasn't coming home from this.

Ten years had passed by since then. The world of Mobius was safer because of the sacrifice of Tails' long time friend. A statue of Sonic was erected in his honor, and the people of Knothole, and the rest of the villages around the planet, spoke of his bravery. The war was finally over. It was as if everyone could breathe easy again. Children could play without the constant threat of an invasion of machines or risk getting captured.

Tails, on the other hand, felt very uneasy. Since the day he met Sonic, all he did was fight against Dr. Eggman and his machines. Sure there were some times for relaxation and leisure, but they were always short lived. Now, with his friend gone, he felt a void inside of himself. He couldn't place a finger on it, but something just didn't feel right. It was hard for him to really focus on anything. Over time, he felt less and less desire to work on his inventions. The garage he worked in looked as if it had been abandoned years ago. Dust gathered over all of his tools. Knothole just didn't feel the same to him anymore. Yes, he still had other friends there, but none could ever replace Sonic. So Tails had left the village, living out the rest of his days in solitude elsewhere. Alone.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Angel Island was a sacred place. A floating island high in the skies of Mobius. Disconnected from most of the world, it is here that secrets are kept safe. Powerful emeralds known as the Chaos Emeralds are kept in hiding, protected by the guardians. Knuckles, an echidna, and youngest of the guardians, was brought to the island several years ago after proving himself to the elders. Angel Island was a special place for another reason. So long as the guardians lived here, they would never age. Some of the guardians were more than two hundred years old. Tikal, one of the elder guardians, is the one that taught Knuckles of their ways, and the importance of protecting these secrets and the emeralds. They held an immense power that no one truly understood. But if they were to fall into the wrong hands, it could spell disaster.

Knuckles relaxed in the lush green fields, watching clouds go by. Ever since Dr. Eggman was stopped, things had been especially quiet on the island. At first, being as battle hardened as he was, it bothered him. But as time went by, he felt the need for the rest. He studied more about his ancestors, the guardians. Learned to meditate and become on with himself. It wasn't like him to become so spiritual, but it gave him a challenge during this new era of peace.

He drifted in and out of sleep, the warm sun bathing him. As he rested he thought of the years that had passed. The battles he fought along side Sonic and Tails, as well as the rest of Knothole. The world was different now that Sonic was gone. He was one of his most trusted friends in the world outside of the island. At least the world was at peace now. And so was he for the most part.

Suddenly, the wind picked up. A cool breeze at first, but it began to pick up, coming down to the field before swirling up into the sky. Knuckles stood up, looking towards the clouds. Just a moment ago, the sky was calm. Now the air was filled with cold air and dark clouds, spinning around in one area. Knuckles stared as the clouds spun faster and faster. Lighting cracked across the sky, and it looked as if a dark hole was opening up in the center of it all.

Knuckles ran through the field, heading back to the village of the elders to alert them. He dashed into the large temple in the heart of the village. "Elders! Come quick! Something is happening in the fields!" The elders in robes looked up from their books and alter.

"What is it brother Knuckles?" One of them asked. Tikal entered the room, hearing the shouting from another part of the temple.

"I'm not sure. The sky is clouded and there's lightning and it almost looks like it's opening up" Knuckles tried to make sense of it all. "Just please, come see for yourself." They followed Knuckles, curious as to what was going on. It wasn't everyday that the sky opens up with a black hole. They stayed a good distance from the spectacle, which had doubled in size since Knuckles first saw it.

"What is that?" Tikal asked, not expecting an answer. There was a loud clap of thunder. Though it didn't sound like ordinary thunder. This seemed like something different. Then another. And another. The sky flashed bright with what looked like lightning and electricity. The wind picked up in force. Some of the elders had a hard time standing and fell to their knees to keep from falling. Then from the center of the black hole emerged something. It slowly came into view through the darkness before taking any real shape.

The elders looked on in horror at this beast. "Look! A metal bird! It's enormous!"

"Is that one of Dr. Eggman's creations?" Asked another.

"No, he's dead remember?"

Knuckles squinted his eyes, gritting his teeth. "No. That's no metal bird. It's called a helicopter." The helicopter came trough the hole and flew just over the elder's heads. They screamed in terror, never having seen such a thing. Another soon emerged from the hole, and then another, all following each other. The last to come through was even larger than the rest.

"Knuckles!" Tikal yelled over the roar of the helicopters and the strange storm. "How do you know of these things?"

"They come from another world!" He yelled back. "I've been to this other world!"

The helicopters landed in the field together. The guardians came from the village, hearing all of the noise and brought their weapons just in case. Knuckles took a defensive stance. From out of the helicopters stepped out large groups of people, dressed in what looked to be special operations gear. All black with gas masks. Their hidden faces only made the elders fear them more. What frightened Knuckles is what these people held in their hands. "Everyone run." Knuckle's voice was quiet, his throat closed up. The people in black raised the objects they held in their hands, aiming them at the group. "Run!" He yelled. But it was too late.

The view from the cabin was breath taking. Living up in the mountains was about as secluded as one could get. This is just what Tails needed. To get away from it all. He didn't need electronics, or gadgets, or any of his inventions. He was content in his solitude. It was a chance to truly relax and reflect on his own life. Something he never really had a chance to do in the past. Tails was busy cutting firewood, splitting logs in half on an old stump. Hiking up the mountain and traversing the rugged terrain had made him stronger. It was funny. Tails never saw himself ever ending up like this. He had been so connected to technology; he never dreamed there would be a day when he felt the need to disconnect himself from it.

He had managed to get a large pile of split logs after a few hours of hard labor. Plenty to last him the winter. He leaned against the handle of his axe, and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. He looked out into the forest. Through the trees he could see a small flock of birds grazing for food in the dirt. It put him at ease, comforting him. But something caught his attention. He wasn't quite sure what it was at first. The flock of birds was suddenly still. Then they took off together without warning, flying away as if they heard something coming. There was a low thumping sound in the distance. Tails set his axe against the log pile and started towards a clearing to see where it was coming from.

In the distance, he could see a black dot in the sky. It created a constant thud that echoed in the mountains as it approached him. He could see it began to descend, making out the aircraft to be a verti-bird. Its large wingspan with propellers at the ends, encased in gyros for a full range of movements, made it one of the most advanced pieces of technology on Mobius. Tails should know too, he built one years ago. The plans for the verti-bird were slightly altered from its original design, but he could see the improvements were well made. He sold most of his technology and designs just a few years back, after the incident with Dr. Eggman and just before moving to the mountains in solitude, but he couldn't remember everyone that bought them all. He didn't much care honestly. But now it looked as though his buyer was going to meet him.

The aircraft landed about two hundred feet away from him. It was a sight to behold, seeing one of his drawings on paper in real life. Out stepped three people, two of which looked to be nothing more than security guards. Both were dressed in dark suits, brandishing what looked like rifles. The third stepped out after, the armadillo Mobian making a casual stride towards Tails. "Hello Mr. Prower!" He called out over the sound of the verti-bird's engines coming to a slow stop.

Tails crossed his arms as he watched the armadillo approach. Looking over his baggy pants and rugged shirt and jacket, he was hard pressed to believe that this was someone of high importance to have security personnel or to be flying around in such a magnificent flyer. Still, he was more than interested in what this was all about than he'd be willing to admit. It had been a long time since anything interesting had happened.

"My name is Mentor." The armadillo started. The verti-bird was quiet enough that he no longer had to shout. He stood before Tails, coming close to matching his height, but he was just a little taller. "I am the commander of the Mobian Alliance. We came here to seek your help."

"Never heard of you or your alliance." Tails stated. "What help do you even expect from me?"

Mentor nodded. He understood before they ever arrived that this would not be an easy confrontation. "There has been an incident that requires your expertise"

Tails laughed, placing his hands to his hips and shaking his head. He peered at Mentor. "My expertise?" He gestured to the flyer they came in. "It looks to me that you already have it. You need a tune up or something? Forget it. Besides, I'm done with it all."

"Angel Island is being attacked as we speak." Mentor's sudden statement hit hard. There was a silence as they stared each other down. Tails opened his mouth to speak but couldn't find the words. "It's imperative that we leave now. We need your help because you know the place. You've been there from what we understand. We also have reason to believe you have friends there."

Wiping off a bead of sweat from his brow, Tails took a moment before answering. "Yes I do have friends there. Now explain to me what kind of attack? Who was it?"

"We don't know."

"You don't know?" Tails scoffed. "You say you protect the people of Mobius, yet as I recall that was what my friends and I were doing more than ten years ago. Where were you then? Where were you when my best friend sacrificed himself to save everyone else?"

"My team was small like yours at the time. We were not equipped enough to fight such battles."

"And we were? We fought alone against machines that were built to destroy everything. Robots that captured innocents in order to create more of them. Yet you stand there and tell me you weren't equipped enough to help us?" Tails began to pace in front of Mentor, eyeing him accusingly.

Mentor sighed. "I know how it seems. I don't have a real explanation, and we know of all the loss and sacrifice your people suffered over the Eggman years. What matters now is that Angel Island needs our help. I need your help to determine what they may be after."

Tails approached him slowly, looking directly into his eyes. "What makes you think they are after something?" Angel Island held many secrets. He needed to know what Mentor knew. He claimed he and his team had never set foot on the island, but Tails wasn't so sure.

"Angel Island is one of the most sacred and guarded places in this world. In my line of work, I am no stranger to the temptation that it holds many treasures. It's only obvious that there are others out there that feel the same way." Mentor turned and faced towards the verti-bird. "The sooner we leave the better." He began walking back, motioning with his hand to tell the pilot to start the engines back up, leaving Tails with just a couple minutes to decide whether he would be joining them or not.

Staring at the ground in deep thought, Tails questioned whether it was a good idea to go to Angel Island or not. The thought of seeing another one of his friends that may well be… He couldn't bear the thought, but at the same time, with both his friends gone, he was the only one that really knew of the full power of the chaos emeralds that were hidden on the island. It remained unclear to him whether Mentor really didn't know what was on the island, or if he just needed him to find it. Maybe Mentor was genuine and really was trying to protect Mobius from something. He had to know more than he was letting on. Instead of questioning this mysterious armadillo, he turned and followed him.

High above the clouds the verti-bird flew almost silently. Tails let his mind drift, the silent hum of the engines had always put him in a trance when he was younger. He felt right at home on the flyer. Mobius was hardly visible this high up. That was the point when hiding a floating island from curious eyes. Not many Mobians knew of its existence. Most brushed off the thought as a myth, a legend about ancient guardians on a slice of paradise all to themselves, and hiding who knew what from the rest of the world. Kids stories they told themselves. Nothing more than a tale to put their young to sleep and dream of the fantastic place. Of course, Tails knew of the reality. He had been there many times in the past, back when Dr. Eggman discovered the island, and grew greedy for the power that was held by the chaos emeralds. With them he could have held all of Mobius in his hand and shaped it into his own image. He shuddered at the thought but was relieved knowing those days were long behind him.

This new threat bothered him a little bit. He always thought Dr. Eggman was the only enemy on Mobius that knew of Angel Island. The others that knew were friends of his, none of which he was sure would ever turn against him or even have the ability to command an attack. Maybe it was an inside job? No, that didn't make sense. "We're here." The pilot called out. Snapping out of his trance, Tails looked out of the small window beside him. He felt himself grow pale and a chill go up his spine when the clouds parted to reveal Angel Island. What was left of it any way. Fires were spread across the forests, some had reached villages. Black smoked billowed into the air, making it difficult to see other areas. He squinted to try and make out what the blotted red spots where that lay all about the ground. As the flyer descended, Tails felt a lump in his throat. It had been a long time since he saw bodies in such a way. This was a massacre. It was beyond any battle he had ever been in. The level of violence that happened here only hours ago was far beyond the havoc Dr. Eggman wrecked.

Mentor peered through the window behind him. "It's a lot worse than we thought. We expected casualties, but not like this." He said solemnly. The verti-bird landed in an open field, the only one they could find that wasn't engulfed in flames. Tails and Mentor stepped out. "Alright, red team, get on those fires. Start a sweep towards the nearest village and fan out from there. Blue team at the ready on me." Mentor turned to Tails. "C'mon. We'll see if the attackers left anything behind that will tell us who they were." Tails nodded following him. "And take this."

Mentor had handed Tails a small laser pistol. It felt heavy and cold in his hands. It wasn't that he had never held one or used one, he just preferred to not have to have it at all. He and Sonic had always fared well against Dr. Eggman without having to resort to this level of brutality. He wasn't sure if it was because of what he was seeing or smelling at the moment, but something shouted in his mind that he needed it. This wasn't just a done by a small group of people, but by a small army.

They entered a village on the edge of the forest line. Fires were slowly being put out, but everything was already lost. The dead lined the dirt roads, some families, some guardians, and some that Tails recognized. He looked away from them, having a hard time trying stomach the stench. "It doesn't make sense. It looks like they had absolutely no warning at all."

Mentor grunted "Taken by surprise no doubt. This was planned. I haven't seen anyone that doesn't belong here. These Mobians had no chance." The two of them with Mentor's soldiers trudged on, scouting home to home and building to building. They didn't know if they were looking for survivors at this point, just a body count. There were only two bodies Tails was dreading to see. They exited the village on the far end and into a large clearing. In the distance, one of the other soldiers waved to them. "They found something."

They jogged up to where the soldier was. Neither had to ask what was found. More bodies. But instead of being sprawled out all over like in the village, these were all lumped together in a mass. Some looked to be echidna guardians, while the others looked like elders to Tails. "This is where it started." Mentor said, breaking the silence. "They gathered here. By the look of the villages so far, I don't think they were gathered here. They saw something that brought them here." Mentor turned and looked around the clearing. He walked over looking at the sky and then to the ground. Kneeling, he brushed his fingers under a few bent grass blades. These bent blades formed near perfect circles all over the area. Six total. "Whoever came here and did this came from the sky." Mentor stood back up and turned back. "They watched them come out of the sky. That's what brought them here."

Tails was only half listening. He stared into the dead mass. Most of the faces were blurry to him, but two stood out. The two he dreaded seeing the most. He closed his eyes and clenched his fist around the laser pistol. He took in a deep breath, held it for a second, and then released it. He knew from the start that it was inevitable that his friends… He just didn't want to believe it. "From the sky huh? If they saw them coming from the sky they would have had time to prepare. These people would have had to literally drop out of thin air to catch them so off guard."

A soldier ran over to Mentor, handing him a small device. He pressed a few buttons on the little machine, and then nodded slightly. "Humph. By the look of this, that may be exactly what happened."


End file.
